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cricket Cricket
has now become a three-horse race Once
a dream, always a dream! cricket World
Twenty20: Job well done by Pakistan youngsters Yousuf's
return to the fold encouraging news
cricket Batting has always been Pakistan's prime area of concern, and had all of their batsmen made useful – if not big – contributions they could have won the tournament easily By Imran Farooqi The ICC Twenty20 World Cup
has proved to be a fabulous hit with people and players One saw the more fancied outfits struggling to make an impression. Australia went down to Zimbabwe in their opening match, while Bangladesh stopped the West Indies from qualifying for the Super Eights stage by defeating them in a pool encounter. South Africa, the hosts and one of the strongest contenders in the title race, failed to break the jinx of never winning matches that matter most. They could not make the last-four despite losing just one game in the tournament. Their one false move put them out of the race for the semis. Australia, the pre-tournament favourites for the 14-day event, never looked comfortable and suffered a defeat at the hands of India in the semifinal. The Aussies, who have completely dominated the other two forms of the game, i.e. Test and one-day cricket, just could not come to terms with the latest form and seemed to have no idea what was happening. And before they could know it was all over for them. Ricky Ponting's men could not do well as they are used to building their innings and then mounting an all-out assault, whereas in Twenty20 cricket there is little or no time for planning things and stabilizing an innings. One just needs to keep hitting the ball into the gaps or over the ropes, or -- in the worst case -- into the fielders' hands. Australia are too good at the Test and one-day level just because they have enough experience and plan things accordingly and work tirelessly for impeccable execution of those plans. In South Africa they could not arrange things according to their liking and faltered. Next time round they'll come prepared. England, the most experienced Twenty20 team, had a disastrous outing. Nothing worked for them as they lost all three matches of the Super Eights stage and thus went home with a badly bruised ego. The two teams that impressed everybody with their dazzling display of cricket and commitment were Pakistan and India. Although both had little experience of this kind of cricket at international level, the way they countered the teams with greater exposure was nothing but commendable. Pakistan cricket had witnessed too much trouble in the last few months, and nobody expected such a strong comeback from them. Though India won the tournament, there was hardly any difference between the two teams. Both teams are quite young and better suited to 20-over cricket. And that is the main reason for their superb performance in the tournament. Temperament-wise Pakistan's players are best suited to Twenty20 cricket. They are all stroke-makers who just cannot curb their natural style of play. Staying at the wicket is not their forte, and they are always in search of quick and big runs. This tendency proves to be their Achilles' heel particularly in Test and generally in one-day cricket. But in Twenty20 cricket this is their biggest asset. Batting has always been Pakistan's prime area of concern, and had all of their batsmen made useful -- if not big -- contributions they could have won the tournament easily. The bowlers did an excellent job and never allowed the opposing teams to dominate the proceedings. A score of around 140 is recognised as an easy target in Twenty20 cricket for good teams, but Pakistan struggled to overwhelm that total while batting second on most occasions. Against India in the pool game, and against Bangladesh, Australia and New Zealand in the later stages of the tournament they experienced uneasy moments before hitting the winning runs. In the final, too, the target was not out of reach even after Pakistan had lost Mohammad Hafeez early in their innings. Unfortunately, apart from Misbah and captain Shoaib Malik none of the batsmen realised his responsibility and threw his wicket away while playing reckless strokes.Hafeez, Younis Khan, and Shahid Afridi all produced just one good knock, while Salman Butt and Kamran Akmal provided nothing but absolute disappointment. Had Afridi done with the bat only half of what he did with the ball nothing could have prevented Pakistan from running away with the winner's trophy. So when so many of your batsmen do not fire, how can you expect to win a world cup? That Pakistan still managed to beat teams like Australia and Sri Lanka and reach the final was just because of some outstanding bowling contribution from all bowlers and some great captaincy by Malik. Although it was Malik's first big assignment he led from the front and managed to get the best out of all players. Under his aggressive leadership the team have started to gel together and seem to have embarked on the journey towards becoming a spirited and thoroughly professional outfit which is not afraid of taking on the best. The current lot is quite young and if it keeps its focus on cricket alone there's no way Pakistan cannot become a far better team in the coming days. South Africa have already arrived, and these players have a chance to prove their worth and cement their places on the team. Umar Gul, easily Pakistan's best bowler in the tournament, seems to have regained his confidence and form following a long, injury-related lay-off. He bowled with a lot of fire and accuracy and with Mohammad Asif and rookie Sohail Tanvir by his side he will play a key role against the Proteas if pitches offered any assistance. Similarly Misbah is currently going through a purple patch, and it's time he cashes on this opportunity. The selectors might soon have to look to him to bolster the middle-order. Pakistan played some great cricket in South Africa and must be praised for this. Even reaching the final is no small achievement itself. One hopes they carry their form into Test cricket as well and continue in the same vein against the South Africans.
With its inclusion in the next edition of the Asian Games (T20 will represent cricket in the Games) along with the probability of its addition as an Olympic sport in London, T20 has now become unstoppable By Muhammad Shahbaz Zahid Cricket's popularity has
never been doubted. From the early days of Test cricket in the Even when it is not a national game in countries such as Pakistan and India, where hockey is, cricket seems to have taken over all others and ripped them apart (as cricket gets all the major sponsorship deals, has dedicated TV channels, more playing stadiums and ever-loving fans' support). From the major Test playing nations to Associates and other minnows of world cricket, the game has become a phenomenon. And with the ever-growing market of the game, the media has been playing a major role along with the sponsors to take the cricketing matters up to a new level. To cap that, the game has been added with a few spices in the last few decades to make it more attractive globally. The game certainly had some spark even in its original form which later grew into a huge fire. One-day Internationals (ODIs) were later introduced in the game -- cricket's second format -- and that really, according to the pundits, was the turning point for cricket's ever-increasing fame. The 50-over game was very interesting carrying the fact that the match was completed in a day and provided with a result 98 times out of a hundred games. The format, which originally had started with sixty-overs-a-side tag, hosted the first World Cup in 1979 and is now featured the most in every team's cricketing calendar. Till now, eight 50-over World Cups have been played with Australia ruling the table with four Cup wins -- 1987, 1999, 2003 and 2007. People say the 'true form of the game' remains Test cricket. It requires more skill, temperament, physical and mental fitness. And true they must be because Test cricket's history is like no other. The format has seen many greats of the game, who never played ODIs, honouring it. But the game gets revolutionised again and again. And this time, the revolution has come with a bang. Twenty20 is the new form of the game which has brought the cricketing world on fire. This new exciting format, played in twenty-overs-a-side mode, was first introduced in England's domestic season. Later on, South Africa adopted it and then Pakistan. And with its huge success, the International Cricket Council (ICC) came to party. ICC, one of the richest sports bodies, thought why not give it (T20) a shot and organise a tournament at a higher level. And the World Twenty20 event was the idea they considered of implementing. Nothing could have been arranged bigger than it and so it proved. The inaugural World T20 event was arranged in South Africa, the hosts of the 2003 50-over World Cup, to the delight of cricket lovers. And the success the tournament gained was unprecedented. It thrilled the spectators all around the globe; was a major ICC hit; a sponsors' dream come true. And to put icing on the cake the final match of the tournament turned out to be a cracker. Two Asian giants -- Pakistan and India -- faced each other in the grand finale. Though the result turned out to be a heartbreaker for Pakistanis, for the neutrals and cricket itself, nothing could have been done better. Seeing the accomplishment T20 cricket has gained, it can be said that T20 poses a real threat to other two forms especially the 50-over game. Few pundits have suggested that number of T20 games in year should be curtailed. Others have hinted that T20 could replace ODIs in future. The ICC, jubilant though, have denied that things of that sort are likely. As cricketing schedules of the teams are hectic, T20s could be the best things that can happen. But ICC say that ODIs will stay where they are, as they generate more money of course, and won't be replaced by T20s. According to me, it is now become a three-horse race. In a few years time, T20s will become a regular feature on every tour. And with its inclusion in the next edition of Asian Games (T20 will represent cricket in the Games) along with the probability of its addition as an Olympic sport in London, T20 has now become unstoppable. The
writer is a staff member at 'The News' Karachi shehnu@gmail.com Former Pakistan great and captain of the 1992 World Cup team Imran Khan believes that Misbah should have played a more orthodox shot at that crucial stage as a lot depended on him By Khurram Mahmood In the 1992 World Cup
league match India beat Pakistan by 43 runs. It was the first time India versus Pakistan has always been the most emotionally charged contest for the people of both countries. Sometimes it looks like a matter of life and death. India won the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 championship with a five-run victory over Pakistan at the Wanderers in Johannesburg last week. It was the same place where India lost the final of the 2003 World Cup to Australia. In 1992 in Australia India beat Pakistan by 43 runs, in the 1996 World Cup jointly held in Pakistan and India, Pakistan again lost the game by 39 runs. In 1999 in England India continued their winning streak with a 47 runs win and in 2003 in South Africa Pakistan lost the game by six wickets while in 2007 in West Indies an expected encounter in the Super Eights stage was not played due to the early exit of both the teams. When the Twenty20 World Championship started Pakistani spectators expected that Pakistan might break the jinx and will beat India in the group match. And Pakistan almost did the job at one stage when the scores were level and Pakistan needed one run off the last two balls, but unfortunately Misbah-ul-Haq failed to take the winning run and the encounter ended as a tie. In the bowl-out stage the Indian bowlers hit the stumps three times, while the Pakistani bowlers failed to break the stumps even once and India again remained unbeaten in the World Cup. When both sides met again in the first ever Twenty20 World Championship final, the excitment among the people of both countries was at its peak. Once again the Pakistanis anticipated that this time the Pakistan team not only would take revenge of the group defeat but also become the first Twenty20 champions. Bowlers made it easier for the batsmen after restricting India to just 157 in 20 overs. But the Pakistani batsmen failed to capitalise on the advantage. Pakistani fans almost lost their faith when Pakistan lost six wickets for just 77 runs on the board in the 12th over. When Pakistan needed 54 runs off the last four overs with four wickets in hand, India would have been considering they had won the match. But again Misbah-ul-Haq kept hopes alive. Misbah and Sohail Tanvir's five sixes in the space of 10 balls brought Pakistan right back into the match. Misbah and his tail-end partners took 19 runs in the 17th over off Harbhajan Singh, 13 runs in the 18th from Sreesanth and seven runs in the 19th from RP Singh and that left them with 13 to get off the final over. But after hitting a six on the second ball from Joginder Sharma, Misbah scooped to the fine leg for a boundary but failed to cross the short fine leg fielder and Sreesanth took the most important catch of his life. It was not easy to hit the ball because Joginder Sharma does not have much pace. No doubt both times it was Misbah who kept the hope alive for Pakistan with his extraordinary batting in an all pressure game and he brought Pakistan agonisingly close to victory. But both times he didn't select the right shot to finish the game in Pakistan's favour. Former Pakistan great and captain of the 1992 World Cup team Imran Khan believes that Misbah should have played a more orthodox shot at that stage as a lot depended on him. Instead of trying to scoop the ball he should have attempted an orthodox shot and reduce the risk. When the team lost the game, little mistakes looked like blunders. Throughout the tournament, Pakistan played with a refreshing energy and aggressive approach and no doubt Shoaib Malik led the side very well. Using Umar Gul in the middle and end overs was an excellent move and every time Pakistan contained the opposition in the slog overs. But in the final game, changes in the batting order and sending Kamran Akmal at number three obviously was not a wise decision especially when he was not in good touch -- he scored only 44 runs in four innings of the tournament. It is hard to understand why Misbah who was in excellent form batted at the number six position. He should have come up the order so that he should have had more overs to settle and score more runs. No doubt Shahid Afridi received the Player of the Series award for his consistent performance in the bowling department, but as an all-rounder spectators also expected something extra in his batting. But, if you are not in good touch as a batsman please don't throw your "valuable" wicket just like he did on the first ball of the all important final. The openers' problem continued in the Twenty20 championship. Imran Nazir, Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi, four batsmen with different combinations were tried, but failed to provide a solid platform for the middle order. Mohammad Hafeez also did not impress as he scored only 99 runs in six innings with an average of 16.50, but his helpful bowling contribution in the middle compensated for his batting performance. Salman Butt, vice captain of the Pakistan cricket team, scored 74 runs in five matches at an average of just 14.80. His strike rate (70.47) remained the lowest among the other team members. In the bowling department all bowlers performed more than the expectations, especially Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi created lots of problems for the batsmen and never allowed them to score freely in the middle overs of the innings. Umar Gul emerged as the highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 13 wickets at an average of 11.92; his economy rate (5.60) was the third best of the tournament after Daniel Vettori (5.33) and Chaminda Vaas (5.55). Pakistan should now start to search for a replacement of Kamran Akmal as wicket-keeper whose performance is going from bad to worse day by day. Not only in batting in which he failed to provide a reasonable contribution but in keeping too he fumbles most of the time on important occasions, especially while attempting stumpings. The
writer works in the art department at 'The News on Sunday' in Karachi
khurrams87@yahoo.com cricket World T20 loss: Pakistan's dual mission remains unfulfilled Pakistan have won a One-day International title or series or Test rubber in every Test playing country but the highly unpredictable Pakistanis could not perform the same feat in Southern Africa in seven trips By Ghalib Mehmood Bajwa It is true victory and
defeat are part of game and this strong fact does provide much At Johannesburg, a historic victory was inches away from Pakistan when an irresponsible shot from a responsible batsman Misbah-ul-Haq pushed Pakistan towards a painful defeat. The narrow loss in the final forced cricket-mad Pakistanis to think whether their cricket team would ever be able to defeat India in a World Cup match and win a cricket title or series in South Africa. With victory in final, Pakistan could have ended a long-standing dual drought -- a World Cup victory against India and a title triumph on South African soil. After winning the Twenty20 final, India extended their World Cup victories record against Pakistan to 6-0. Pakistan, who enjoye a clear edge over India in the overall ODI victories (played 108, victories 64, defeats 40) could not end the unwanted rather mysterious sequence of World Cup defeats against their neighbours. Even in 1992 when Pakistan won the World Cup title, they suffered a 43-run loss at the hands of India at Sydney. Here is a brief summary of Pakistan's six World Cup defeats against India. 1992: by 43 runs at Sydney, Australia. 1996: by 39 runs at Bangalore, India. 1999: by 47 runs at Manchester, England. 2003: by six wickets at Centurion, South Africa. 2007 T20: match tied (Pak beaten 3-0 in bowl-out) at Durban, South Africa. 2007 T20: by five runs at Johannesburg, South Africa. It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan have won a One-day International title or series or Test rubber in every Test playing country but the highly unpredictable Pakistanis could not perform the same feat in Southern Africa in seven trips. In all Pakistan played 36 One-day Internationals and nine Tests in 14 years time from 1993 to 2007 in Mandela's country. Out of these three dozen one-dayers, Pakistan were triumphant in as many as 18 games against different opponents but in spite of having such a good winning ratio, Pakistan returned home empty-handed from South Africa every time. In the Tests too, Pakistan's record has not been satisfactory and is read as played 9, won 2, lost 6 and drawn 1. Pakistan have been involved in five cricket tournaments including the just ended Twenty20 World Cup on South African soil out of which they reached the final stage four times but could not convert these finals into titles. From this kind of performances one can assess that Pakistan had some problems when they play in the decisive and crucial matches. In all Pakistan have made seven visits to South Africa in 1992-93, 1994-95, 1998, 2002-03, 2003, 2006-07 and 2007 during the last 14 years. Pakistan made their first-ever tour to South Africa under all-rounder Wasim Akram in 1992-93 for an international ODI tri-series. Apart from the hosts, Pakistan and West Indies were the other teams in the competition. During this historic event Pakistan won three and lost four matches including the final against the West Indies. Interestingly, Pakistan beat hosts South Africa in all their three encounters. In the 1994-95 season, dashing batsman Saleem Malik was the captain when Pakistan toured South Africa for a quadrangular Mandela Cup Tournament and a historic one-off Test, the first-ever between the two countries. South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand were the participating sidesin the 4-nation event. In this tournament, Pakistan remained unlucky when they could not bag the title despite winning five games out of eight. Unfortunately, our cricketers couldn't rise to the occasion in the best-of-three finals and surrendered to South Africa in the first two games without any notable resistance. In the historic Test match at Johannesburg, Pakistan suffered a 324 runs defeat at the hands of South Africa. The South Africans simply knocked them out in all the departments of the game. Pakistan bowlers played their due part in this massive loss conceding 64 extras in the first and 32 in the second innings. Our 'generous' bowlers gave their opponents a huge aggregate of 96 runs free of cost. Pakistan, after a gap of three years, again made a trip to South Africa in 1997-98 now under wicket-keeper Rashid Latif. Besides the International Triangular series, Pakistan also featured in a full three-Test rubber for the first time on South African soil. This time Pakistan could have won the Test series but they failed to retain their winning sequence and a 1-0 lead in the third Test. There were a few controversies and mismanagements that played major part in disturbing Pakistan's winning rhythm in the Test series. Pakistan suffered a first blow during the side game when captain Rashid Latif injured his neck seriously and was ruled out for first two Tests of the series. Then it was in Johannesburg a day before the first Test that the mugging incident took place just outside the hotel where the Pakistan team was staying. Then came the most important tour in the last month of the year 2002 when Pakistan reached South Africa under pacer Waqar Younis for a five-match one-day series and a short two-Test rubber. It was an ideal opportunity for the Pakistan team to make amends of disorders and get themselves familiar with the conditions where the grand 2003 World Cup event was to be played a few weeks later. Pakistan entered South Africa after winning all the Tests and one-dayers against Zimbabwe quite comfortably but their excellent form altogether turned into a complete nightmare soon after landing in South Africa owing to some professional game of the hosts and non-serious approach of our cricketers. After a disastrous South African tour, PCB had a monthís time to streamline its affairs and remove all internal differences. At that time some radical steps were needed to make the dressing room atmosphere a friendly one but sadly PCB high-ups and senior players wasted that period in making baseless claims and promises and the same battered and shattered squad was named with minor changes for the 2003 showpiece world cup event. As was expected, Pakistan maintained their run of poor performances in the World Cup and our green flag-bearers could not advance to even Super Six stage. Interestingly, Pakistan managed to seize initiative in all their matches against big teams like Australia, England and India but unfortunately they could not maintain their hold and resultantly lost all these matches with big margins. Pakistan again toured South Africa in the 2006-07 season for three Tests and five ODIs. This time, Inzamam's men won the second Test comfortably at Port Elizabeth to make it 1-1 but could not maintain their winning form in the third Test and lost the series 2-1. In the ODI rubber, Pakistan cricketers also remained unimpressive except only one ODI victory at Durban. The
writer is a staff member at Lahore ghalibmbajwa@hotmail.com
World Twenty20: Job well done by Pakistan youngsters We needed one or two big shots and it would have been over but Misbah alone could not accomplish the task failing to get support from the other end Much is being said about Pakistan's 'inability' to land India that killer punch in spite of reaching so near in the grand final of the just-concluded inaugural edition of the World Twenty20 event in South Africa yet, to many an independent observer, Pakistan played superbly all through the mega tournament. The irony is that overlooking the good fight put up by the Pakistan team, some circles have been focusing only on the negative aspects of their play -- a few bad shots. Some hold Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik and Younis responsible for the final debacle while others believe that Misbah-ul-Haq played a risky shot which he should not have played at that stage of the game with three balls to spare. What these critics fail to grasp is that top players from both sides like Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik from Pakistan and Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Dhoni were dismissed cheaply and it is part and parcel of the game. As for Misbah-ul-Haq, he pulled the match out of a crisis and strengthened Pakistan's grip over it. That he could not land that killing punch does not mean that he should be held responsible for the loss. To attribute the entire defeat in the final to Mishab's single mistake is tantamount to making a mountain out of molehill. We needed one or two big shots and it would have been over but Misbah alone could not accomplish the task failing to get support from the other end. Overall it was job well done by Pakistan cricketers in the World Twenty20 Cup particularly the young lot who made a difference at large. It was indeed a nice feeling to see Pakistan's team bounce back after thedebacle in the World Cup in the West Indies earlier this year. Finishing second in an event that featured the world's top teams and that too with too many youngsters in the side is a magnificent show. Playing the final was itself a big honour for Pakistan and our joy could have been much higher if Pakistan had won the match which India won by only fve runs. Anyway winning and losing are part of the game and Pakistan lost in decent way after putting up a hard fight against the opponents. The most striking feature of Pakistan's game was that they were in the game all through the tournament. It was a matter of a few bad shots that cost Pakistan the trophy otherwise they made a smooth sailing all through the tournament. It is worth mentioning here that young players selected in Pakistan cricket have fully come up to the expectations of the selection committee as their brilliance helped the team to reach the final as it was an extraordinary effort on part of the Pakistan team which is in process of rebuilding after the World Cup disaster in March this year in West Indies where it crashed out from the preliminary round. After such a dismal performance the confidence of the team as well players was badly shattered and every one was worried about the team and the decision to include young players, step by step, has served in the right direction. It may be mentioned here that when little known names are in the squad, obviously the game lovers question their credibility and show their concern by expressing their fears regarding the overall performance of the team but once they (players) fit in the role and accomplish the task they are in the process of being accepted and getting the trust reposed in them. The high level performance from the youngsters is now a matter of satisfaction for the cricket fans, who were worrying about the end results when the big decision to include the youngsters ignoring some experienced legs was taken by the selection committee. However, now they can take a sigh of relief to see that the fresh legs have struck a higher level of game which speaks volume of their talent and prospects in the game. Starting with such impressive performance visibly suggests that they are as good as of experienced players in the team and they can do a lot more in the future. Some critics wash away T20 cricket as 'none too serious' type of game. But that is not the case. The level of competition was of high standard in the World Twenty20 and all the teams were somehow the same in commitment and promise but the determination shown by the youth-dominated Pakistan team has been widely praised by every one for its anticipation and application. Reaching the final through victories against teams like world champions Australia, Sri Lanka and New Zealand is a job well done by the team and the youngsters. Misbah-ul-Haq proved with his batting abilities, Sohail Tanvir did his best in pace bowling and Fawad Alam who came in a crucial match, the semifinal against the Kiwis, was brilliant. Sohail Tanvir along with Misbah brought Pakistan close to victory in the final from a difficult position. Captain Shoaib Malik has deeply impressed with his leadership qualities, with his different plans and strategy in all the matches and we hope better coordination and performance from him in the home series against South Africa. We expect the same performance from the team under his leadership in the coming Test and ODI series against South Africa which will be quite tough as the SA team is also charged up and its performance is known to every one but we have confidence in our team winning the home series. Besides for the youngsters, the T20 Cup was also significant for Pakistan's glitzy all-rounder Shahid Afirdi, who was declared the man of the tournament for taking 12 wickets in six matches of the tournament, in spite of his failure to take any wicket in the final against India. It was an honour for Pakistan that Afridi was given the coveted award. One would also praise the young Shoaib Malik for outstanding performance as captain. The way he made field changes and came up with other adjustments speaks volume of his leadership capabilities. The team played as a well knit unit under him and that's what was Pakistan lacking in recent years. The team's spirit come from unity and Shoaib's boys fully exhibited this art. Luck eluded him in the end. Otherwise, he would have emerged as the ultimate winners captain. Had Misbah's shot gone over the fine-leg boundary it would have been a different story. The boys showed a lot of courage and fighting qualities and they fought well as a unit under him which was great a sign. Misbah produced a good batting show and he should not be held responsible for defeat. One would agree with the Pakistan captain (Shoaib Malik) who was quoted to have said: "If we review our team's overall performance it was pretty decent and good. Performance in the World Twenty20 will help us to put up a fine performance in the home series against South Africa." We hope that our team gets benefit of the home crowd and home grounds to further lift the level of their game when they play South Africa in the one-dayers and Test matches and surely they will be there to get good results.
Yousuf's return to the fold encouraging news It was Younis Khan who produced a lacklustre performance in spite of the general impression that in the absence of senior pros Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf, he will play with more responsibility By Muhammad Akram Chohan At last the PCB has
succeeded in convincing Mohammad Yousuf to reconsider his Yousuf, who joined the ICL with the hope that the set-up would be a huge success, has understood in recent days that barring some big names of modern-day cricket, the organisation has failed to attract several other stars of international cricket. This resulted in a change in his stance towards the PCB. The top officials of the PCB, including the national selection committee, were quite happy otherwise as Yousuf's replacement Misbah-ul-Haq played quite a few scintillating innings during the World Twenty20 tournament. It was Younis Khan who produced a lacklustre performance in spite of the general impression that in the absence of senior pros Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf, he will play with more responsibility after a successful county stint. Younis's casual batting style and adventurous approach cost Pakistan heavily. During the final, it was in everyone's knowledge that Imran Nazir, who was carrying an injury, had aggravated it further while batting, but Younis tried to take a risky single. The result was that Imran got out and Pakistan lost a very precious wicket as he was playing superbly. Younis's lack of professionalism and sense of responsibility has intensified the importance of a dependable batsman in the middle-order following the retirement of Inzamam from ODIs. The performance of Younis was pathetic during the tournament as he could accumulate only 127 runs in seven outings averaging an awful 18.14. Yasir Arafat also failed to make an impact with either bat or ball. Had Abdul Razzaq been in the team, the outcome of the final would have been entirely different. He is a handy player and has proved his brilliance on countless occasions during his illustrious career spanning nearly a decade. He was off-color in recent days, but the selectors should have realised that a player like him just needs a good match. To perform in a mega event like the Twenty20 World Cup, apart from potential one should have strong nerves and should be extremely confident of his abilities. But this was not the case with Arafat. He could take a solitary wicket in return of 72 runs in his three matches. So if the top management of the PCB is trying hard to convince Yousuf, then they should review their attitude towards the talented all-rounder by listening to his side of the story and his grievances. He is by no means over the hill nor is a spent force. He still has some years of international cricket left in him. The biggest concern for the selectors, the Board and cricket lovers is a dependable opening pair. Khurram Manzoor and Ahmed Shahzad, who have performed outstandingly at the domestic level, look bright prospects for the future in this regard. The selectors have very rightly given chance to these youngsters to let them prove themselves at the international level. Salman Butt and Muhammad Hafeez were not in their best of touch and their mediocre performances always created an uneasy position for the middle-order during the whole tournament. I had indicated about their shortcomings in one of my earlier articles and I'm sorry to say the fears have become a reality. Captain Shoaib Malik, who is gaining confidence with each passing day, should be careful in his statistics and calculation in the future. In the final Mohammad Asif bowled just three overs out of his quota of four. One more thing: Shahid Afridi could have been a better choice as an opener in the recently concluded event. Anyhow the team's performance is praiseworthy as their preparations for the tournament had suffered badly because of the ugly incident involving Shoaib Akhtar, Asif and Afridi. But they regrouped and put up a brave show and worked really hard to perform in the event brilliantly.
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alike, and seems to have a bright future ahead. The shortest, and also the
newest, version of the game kept the watchers on the edge of their seats
throughout the tournament and witnessed some breathtaking performances and
upsets.
late nineteenth century, the game has always grown in stature, backed by its
loyal fans and supported throughout the world.
when the two arch rivals met in the World Cup competition. Since then both
have played four matches against each other in the World Cups and each time
India have emerged as the winner.
wanted strength especially to the losers and prepares them to take the field
for the next encounters. But the five-run loss in the final of the World
Twenty20
decision of joining the rebel Indian Cricket League. Yousuf joined the ICL in
sheer agony and displeasure after his exclusion from the ICC World Twenty20
event. The recent development is a welcome sign for Pakistan cricket, but in
reality both the parties i.e. PCB and Yousuf realised their mistakes.